Birmingham Township supervisors voted 3-0 on July 18 to sign a mediation agreement with the Leonhard family of Brinton’s Bridge Road. Victor A. and Lillian C. Leonhard and their son, also named Victor, who is known as Val, own the property.
The agreement allows for a 5,100 square foot structure and a landscaping business on the 23.6-acre Leonhard farm. It also eliminated the need for the Leonhards to go to the Zoning Hearing Board for a variance.
The property has been used for two residences and a farm since 1975 with no permits ever being issued by the township. Business uses included breeding animals and landscaping.
In August of 2010, the family filed a building application for the building, but the zoning officer issued an enforcement notice and a cease and desist order in September because the property would be used for a business.
In October, the family filed for a variance, but in December the family and township supervisors agreed to mediation, with agreement reached this month.
The agreement includes several restrictions.
The building, 85-by-60 feet, will be on the south side of the property and be screened from the view of neighbors through the use of appropriate landscaping.
No more than four employees of the landscaping business may be at the property at any given time and selling firewood or other products on-site is prohibited. The business must also abide by the township noise ordinance and any necessary idling of equipment shall be limited to the hours of 7 a.m. and dusk.
The only commercial business allowed to operate on the property is the landscaping business owned by Val—Victor A. Leonhard III, but the property may continue to be used as a farm.
Other business:
Supervisors voted to adjust the township fee schedule to include a $20 fee for certified records from the township tax collector.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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